Russian gas giant Gazprom said on Tuesday it failed to reach an agreement with Belarus in the latest round of talks on the price of natural gas supplies to the country next year.

"The talks have ended ... Regrettably, the talks got virtually nowhere," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying.

Kupriyanov said Gazprom's proposals allow Belarus to make the transition to the free market price over a period of four years.

"We were prepared to agree to a price of 110 U.S. dollars per 1,000 cubic meters on condition of creating a joint venture with (Belarus' gas transport company) Beltransgaz," but Belarus did not accept the offer, Kupriyanov was quoted as saying.

Belarus is buying gas from Russia at 47 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters this year. Kupriyanov said earlier that the current contract with Belarus expires at the end of the year.

Russia has hiked the prices of gas supplied to some of the former Soviet republics. Last week, Georgia signed contracts with Gazprom for gas deliveries in 2007 at 235 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, a double of the price it pays this year.